Loose leaf binder



oct. 12, 1937. A. G. LOTTER 2,095,610

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Jan. 20. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l RO @S dU/h E. LDET --Qfwm www".

A. G. LOTTER 2,095,610 M LOOSE LEAF BINDER Oct. 12, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1936 numinimum...

- mllllllllln L k j @KQ/werf Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STA LOOSE LEAF BINDER Application January 20, 1936, Serial No. 59,918

14 Claims.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and refers particularly to the record book type of binder.

In binders of this type, the body of leaves is impaled upon a plurality of binder posts joined at their ends to the covers adjacent their hinged connections to the back of the binder. The connections between at least one of the covers of the binder posts are detachable to allow the removal and insertion of leaves, and the connections between the post ends and the covers include sooketed portions on the covers into which the ends of the posts fit.

In view of the required degree of flexibility in the connections between the covers and the post ends, when one of the covers was disconnected from the posts, the posts were easily shifted out of proper upright position by the body of leaves during the usual handling of the book, so that the re-estab'lishment of the connection between the disconnected cover and its ends of the posts was difiicult.

The possibility of having the disconnected ends of the posts shift out of line with the socketed portions on the cover to which they are attachable was exceptionally objectionable in binders equipped with means for automatically re-establishing Ithe connection between the cover and post ends upon closure of the disconnected cover.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide simple and effective means for holding the binder posts in proper upright position at all times so that their disconnected ends are at all times in line with the socketed portions of the covers to facilitate the establishment of the connections therebetween.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a loose leaf binder of the type to which this invention appertains;

Figure 2 is a cross section View through the (Cl. 12S-4) back portion of the binder taken on the plane of the line 2 2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the binder shown with one cover disconnected from the posts and viewing the same from the back of the b'ody of leaves; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the post holding unit.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates the back of a loose leaf binder of the record book type having covers 6 hingedly connected thereto as at l. Connected to the covers adjacent the hinges l are binder posts 8 upon which a body of leaves 9 is impaled.

The connections between the ends of the posts 8 and the covers include channel members IB iixed to the covers, as shown, and provided with open recesses or sockets I l to receive the end portions of the posts. Slidable in the channels of the members Eil are bars I2 having hinge pins I3 arranged to cross the recesses or sockets H for engagement in the looped ends Ill of the posts upon inward endwise shifting of the bar.

The connections between the post ends and the binder covers are thus readily detachable merely by pulling the bars l2 outwardly a distance to carry their hinge pins i3 out of the looped ends I4, and to facilitate such shifting of the bars l 2, they are equipped with finger engaging portions l5.

To insure proper opening and closing of the binder, it is necessary to have a degree of freedom in the connections between the ends of the posts and the covers and as a consequence, when one of the covers is disconnected from the posts, as shown in Figure 3, to allow the removal or insertion of leaves, the body of leaves is very apt to be shifted. Heretofore this would cause the upper disconnected ends of the posts to be carried out of proper alignment with the sockets Il on the upper cover so that before the upper cover could be reconnected to the posts, it would be necessary to shift the body of leaves and the posts back and forth until the proper alignment had been effected.

In other words with past constructions, the posts were apt to tilt out of their proper upright positions, and to overcome this disadvantage and the difculties arising therefrom, a post holding unit, indicated generally by the numeral I6, is provided. This unit consists of two flyleaves il adapted to be disposed between the covers and the outermost leaves.

Each flyleaf has a stii rigid rear edge portion I8 formed of metal or other suitable material and provided with apertures IS for the reception of the end portions of the binder posts. The apertures in both stiff edge portions i8 are inexact alignment when the flyleaves are disposed one directly above theother so that as long as the iiyleaves are held in these relative positions against endwise motion parallel to the back of the binder, the posts are retained in their proper upright positions.

To hold the flyleaves in proper relationship,

. each flyleaf has an arched back plate 2E) hingedly connected thereto as at 2|. These curved or Y arched back plates overlap and are held in over- Y lapped relationship by inturned anges 22 on the ends of one of the back plates and overlying the adjacent end portions of the other back plate. In this manner, the back plates are held against rela'- tive endwise shifting while lateral motion to permit the fiyleaves to move toward and from each other is permitted, such lateral motion being vlimited by the engagement of lugs 23 on one of the back plates with abutments 2@ on the anges 22 of the other back plate.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that this invention provides simple but effective means for holding the binder posts of a loose leaf binder` of the type described against tilting from their pro-per upright positions and that the means for accomplishing this purpose forms in effect an inner cover substantially embracing the body of leaves, and that the addition thereto does not in anywise complicate the design or construction of the binder.

What I claim as my invention:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of covers, a back to which the covers are hingedly connected, binder posts adapted to have loose leaves impaled thereon connected at their ends to the covers adjacent their hinged connections with the back, the connections between the binder posts and at least one of the covers being detachable, and interconnected means independently of the back and covers and engaging both ends of the posts for holding the disconnected end portions of the binder posts properly aligned with their cooperating portions of the cover from which they have been disconnected, sai-d interconnected means being expansible to allow immediate detachment of one of said interconnected means from the adjacent ends of the posts upon detachment of said ends of the posts from their connections with the adjacent cover.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a back, .covers hinged to the back, binder posts adapted to have a body of leaves impaled thereon, means for connecting the ends of the binder posts with the covers, the connections between at least one of the covers and the adjacent post ends being detachable, said connections including sockets on said cover to receive the ends of the posts, and interconnected expansible means directly engaging all of the posts for hol-ding said posts against shifting in a direction parallel to the hinge axes of the covers with said ends thereof at all times in line with said sockets so as to facilitate reconnecting said cover with said post ends.

3. In a loose leaf binder having hingedly connected covers, binder posts connected at their ends to said covers, the connections between at least one cover and the adjacent ends of the posts being detachable, and freely slidably connected plate members at all times engaging the opposite end portions of all of the posts to hold the same against shifting in a direction parallel to the hinge axes of the covers to maintain the ends of the posts in position for connection to their associated cover.

4. In a loose leaf binder, aback, covers hinged to the back, binder posts, means for connecting the ends of the bin-der posts with the covers adjacent their hinged connections with the back, said connections including socketed portions carried by the covers to receive the ends of the posts, the connections between at least one cover and the posts being detachable, and interconnected readily expansible means engaging both ends of the posts for holding oneend of the posts against lateral movement in a direction parallel to the hinge axes of the covers with respect to the other end thereof so as to maintain the disconnected ends of the posts properly aligned with the socketed portions of the cover to which they are connectible.

5. In a loose leaf binder including a back, covers hinged to the back, binder posts adapted to have a body of loose leaves impaled thereon, means for connecting the ends` of the posts with the covers, said connecting means including' socketed portions carried by the covers, the connections between atleast one cover and the posts being detachable, and means for retaining the disconnected post ends in proper alignment with the socketed portions adapted to receive the same when the connectionsl between said post ends and the cover carrying said socketed portions are detached, said means comprising two apertured members to receive the end portions of the posts, and means connecting said members at the back of the body of leaves in such manner as to facilely allow for relative movement of said apertured members toward and from each other while holding the same against relative endwise movement.

6. In a loose leaf binder having loosely mounted binder posts adapted to have a body of leaves impaled thereon, means for holding said posts at all times substantially perpendicular to the plane of the leaves, comprising two rigid members having aligned apertures to receive all of the posts adjacent their ends, and means connecting said rigid members so as to allow immediate and free movement thereof toward and from each other to accommodate variations in thickness of the body of leaves While holding the same against relative endwise movement.

'7. In a loose leaf binder, a back, covers hinged to the back, binder posts adapted to have a body of leaves impaled thereon, sockets on the covers to receive the ends of the posts, means for holding said posts upright with the ends thereof at all times in line with the sockets to be readily receivable therein, said means comprising two rigid members one to overlie each face of the body of leaves and both apertured to receive the end portions of the binder posts, a back member hingedly connected to each of said rigid members, and means connecting said back members in such manner as to allow free movement of said rigid members toward and from each other to accommodate different thicknesses of the body of leaves while holding said rigid members against relative endwise shifting.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a back, covers hinged to the back, binder posts detachably connected to the covers and adapted to have a body of leaves impaled thereon, means for holding said posts parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the covers when the binder is closed, said means comprising two rigid members one to overlie each face of the body of leaves and both apertured to receive the end portions of the binder posts, and a telescoped back hingedly connected to the rigid members to hold the same against relative endwise shifting while permitting flatwise movement thereof toward and from each other.

9. In a loose leaf binder of the record book type, a back, covers hinged to the back and having sockets, binder posts having their ends detachably received in the sockets and adapted to have a body of leaves impaled thereon, means for holding the posts upright with their ends in line with the sockets even though disconnected therefrom and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the closed covers comprising flyleaves adjacent the covers and overlying the outermost of the body of leaves each of said flyleaves having a stiff portion adjacent the back which stiff portion is apertured to receive the post ends, and a telescoping back joining said stiff portions of the flyleaves so as to hold the flyleaves against relative endwise movement while freely permitting movement thereof toward and from each other to accommodate different thicknesses of the body of leaves disposed therebetween.

10. A post holding unit for loose leaf binders of the record book type comprising a pair of flyleaves each having a stiff portion adjacent one edge, said stiff portions having apertures to receive the binder posts of a binder with which the unit is associated, a back plate hingedly connected to each of said stiff edge portions of the flyleaves, and means for holding said back plates connected in overlapping relationship in such manner as to prevent relative endwise motion thereof while allowing relative lateral motion to accommodate movement of the flyleaves toward and from each other.

l1. A post holding unit for loose leaf binders of the record book type comprising a pair of flyleaves each having a stiff portion adjacent one edge, said stiff portions having apertures to receive the binder posts of a binder with which the unit is associated, a back plate hingedly connected to each of said stiff edge portions of the flyleaves, and means for holding said back plates connected in overlapping relationship in such manner as to prevent relative endwise motion thereof while allowing relative lateral motion to accommodate movement of the flyleaves toward and from each other, and means to limit the movement apart of said back plates.

12. A post holding and leaf protecting unit for loose leaf binders of the record book type comprising a pair of flyleaves having stiff marginal portions along the back edges thereof which stiff marginal portions are apertured for the reception of binder posts, an arched back plate hingedly connected to each of said stiff marginal edge portions, and means on the ends of one of said arched back plates engaging the adjacent end portions of the other arched back plate to hold said back plates in overlapped relationship and to constrain the same to a limited relative lateral motion allowing movement of the flyleaves toward and from each other while preventing relative endwise movement of the back plates and consequently the flyleaves.

13. In a looseleaf binder having a back and covers hinged thereto, binder posts adapted to have a body of leaves impaled thereon, means for connecting the ends of the binder posts with the covers including socketed portions on the covers, the connections between at least one cover and the adjacent ends of the binder posts being detachable, and means independent of the back and covers forming in effect a readily detachable inner cover and connected to the end portions of the binder posts to hold the end portions of the posts properly aligned with the socketed portions into which they t when said detachable connections are detached, said independent means being readily expansible to allow immediate detachment from the adjacent ends of the posts upon detachment of said ends of the posts from their connections with the covers.

14. In a loose leaf binder having a back and covers hinged thereto, binder posts adapted to have a body of leaves impaled thereon, means for connecting the ends of the binder posts with the covers including socketed portions on the covers, the connections between at least one cover and the adjacent ends of the binder posts being detachable, flyleaves parallel to and adjacent the covers and lying between the outermost of the body of leaves and the covers, said flyleaves having stiif rear edge portions apertured to receive the end portions of the posts, and means connecting the flyleaves and holding the same against relative longitudinal motion parallel to the back of the binder while freely allowing relative movement of the iiyleaves toward and from each other whereby said flyleaves hold the binder posts upright at all times and maintain the disconnected ends of the binder posts properly aligned with the socketed portions of the cover engageable therewith when the connections therebetween are detached.

ADOLPH G. LOTTER. 

